Monthly Archives: August 2018

Not every gardener is lucky enough to have flat property on which to garden. If you do have a slope or a hill, it is often very difficult, confusing and challenging trying to figure out how to landscape. There are many ideas and tips on gardening on a hill, which helps you deal with the special challenges and problems you are likely to encounter. If the garden slope is extremely steep, stay away from planting grass or gardens that need any kind of maintenance, as it can be hazardous trying to cut or look after them.

A couple of great tips on gardening on a slope are to plant trees and shrubs. Their root system will slow water runoff, especially during heavy rainstorms, and anchor the soil. Tall perennial grasses also work well on hills and require no maintenance. If you like the natural look, sow wildflower seed over the area, which will look beautiful and keep the topsoil from eroding or washing away. Wildflower seeds are readily available in bulk at large garden centers and nurseries. For every square foot you need approximately fifty seeds. If you have a small area to seed, buy a small can, but for large areas, wildflower seeds are available in bulk. Make sure that whatever you plant requires no regular maintenance if it is a steep hill.

In Pennsylvania I saw a beautifully landscaped hill planted with different colors of azaleas. The site in the spring and early summer was breathtaking. This was on a steep hill so it not only helped with erosion but was gorgeous too.

For shady areas, the tips on gardening on a hill are a little different. Most wildflowers require lots of light so a shady area is not a good choice. Instead, consider shade-loving ferns, perennials and low growing vines. Not only does the leaves slow erosion by catching the rain before it hits the ground but the roots help keep the soil from washing away. Another couple of great tips on gardening on a slope are to create stair steps or terraces. This requires some work, as you need to do a lot of digging. You may need to construct a retaining wall, depending on how steep the slope is. A level area to plant helps with erosion problems and makes it far easier to work in your garden.

For anyone that has a few garden challenges, such as land that slopes, they are always happy to find tips on gardening on a slope. If you are lucky enough to have weathered or interesting looking rocks on your hill, then it is the perfect area to create a rock garden. It would be good to plant some low growing vines and perennials in your rock garden to add texture and interest to your rock garden.

Definitely come up with a plan before you attempt your hill garden. Ask your garden center for some advice about your garden; they will be of great assistance. As with all gardens it is most important that you take time to enjoy your gardens whether they are on a hill or in beds.

Home gardens can be hard work but for many it is a great hobby that gives you many rewards. Gardening is the most popular hobby in this country. It helps you to relax and many say it is very therapeutic. Look at it this way, you are outside in the fresh air and you are working on a project that helps to relieve stress and worry. It is also a great way to work out without having to get in your car and go to the gym. Think of the hours of enjoyment you will get when your hard work turns into gorgeous, lush gardens. Along with the enormous enjoyment you will get from your garden, you will also reap the harvest of any fruit trees and enjoy that too. There are a few garden tips that you should follow that will reward you with a beautiful home garden for you and your friends to enjoy.

There are some home gardening tips to keep in mind when shopping for new trees or shrubs. Usually, when you purchase and plant trees and shrubs they are very small. The gardener comes home and plants under a window or near the house. These plants will start to grow and can cause some tricky problems. This is a mistake to avoid. As the plants grow, so do their root systems. If planted to close to the house they could do harm to your foundation, sewer or water lines. Not only can they cause damage to these things but then it will be necessary to pay to have the tree or shrub removed. When planting shrubs around your house they may grow tall enough to block out sunlight or be a detriment to your landscaping scheme. To avoid this trouble in your home garden, find out exactly how tall and wide the shrubs and trees will be at maturity, a very important tip. Remember, never plant a tree too close to your house. The roots could cause very costly damages and you would have to have the tree taken out.

To encourage new spring growth, prune your shrubs in the fall to allow air flow. Until the shrub or tree is established you must water them liberally. Proper watering of your trees or shrubs is essential if you want them to survive and in some cases to keep the guarantee valid. Lawn sprinkler irrigation is generally inadequate for watering these new plants. Trees and shrubs must have a deeper, soaking watering of the root ball. Moist but not “sloppy wet” is the rule. The recommended watering schedule when your trees and shrubs are first planted is as follows:

Days 1-30 – Everyday

Days 31 – 60 Every other day

Days 61 & following – At least twice per week

Plants that you have watered well survive far better during the cold months than plants starting winter without enough water. Depending on your zone, it is best to plant trees and shrubs in the fall, never in the summer. Take care of your home gardens and you will have years of enjoyment adding texture and beauty to your home and yard.

It can be overwhelming when trying to figure out what furniture to buy for your garden. With the arrival of spring, garden centres are packed with furniture of all types. Patio sets, benches, statues, fountains, barbecues, the list is endless. The process may seem daunting at first, but it doesn’t have to be stressful or overwhelming. Here are eight simple tips to help you buy the right furniture and have fun at the same time.

Tip #1: Decide how you will use your garden. Do you want room to stretch out and sun tan or will you want to have lots of people over for a barbecue and eat outside? If you are planning to eat outside, then make sure you have plenty of table space to hold all the food and dishes you need. If you eat inside, but bring your drinks outside after dinner, then small bistro tables will suit you just fine. If you are planning on having a lot of people over, you will need to ensure that you have adequate seating for everyone.

Tip #2: Measure the exact size of your garden or backyard before buying patio furniture, statues or fountains. Most garden centres are large and it is easy to lose the scale of your garden. What looks small at a garden centre could be too large for your garden. When you find furniture that you like, take measurements and then go back to your garden or backyard. Tape up cardboard boxes together so that they are roughly the same size as the furniture you wish to buy. Next, place the cardboard boxes in your yard. This will show you how much room the furniture will actually take up in your garden.

Tip #3: Buy at the end of the season to get the best sales. This is the best way to get the most out of your budget. It can also help to establish a good relationship with the staff at the garden centre because they can tell you when the sales will start and how much of a certain item is left in stock. When something goes on sale, it can be sold out fast, especially if there is limited stock.

Tip #4: Visit a lot of different garden centres to see all the different furniture ideas out there. Make it a fun outing of window shopping. Without the pressure to buy something, the trips won’t be stressful or overwhelming. Plus, this will give you the time to compare prices and quality of the furniture available.

Tip #5: Keep the style consistent. When everything in your backyard has the same style, it will be in harmony, you will feel more relaxed and you will want to show it off to everyone. Plus, once you have established what your tastes are, you will be able to ignore the furniture that doesn’t fit with that style, which will reduce your stress when buying new garden furniture.

Tip #6: Consider how much maintenance you are willing to do. Will you have to bring the cushions in every time it rains? If so, where will you put them? Can you leave the furniture outside during the winter or will you have to store it for the season? Do you have a place inside your house to store furniture for the winter? If an item requires a lot of maintenance and you’re not prepared to do it, then it just won’t last. No matter how much you like the look of the furniture in the store, don’t buy it if you can’t maintain it.

Tip #7: Know your budget. It’s easy to get carried away and want to buy everything you see. But don’t. Set a limit and stick to it. You can always add more furniture next year. Plus, if you really see something you like, let your friends and family know. They can always get together to buy it for you or give you a gift certificate to the store.

Tip #8: How comfortable is the furniture you are buying? If you plan to sit on a bench or chair in your backyard for hours, it had better be comfortable. Contoured furniture and cushions go a long way in adding comfort. Keep the stone benches for occasional seating and to add to the ambiance of the setting.

There are a few gardening tips that have worked for me in the past that I am going to share with you because when starting your own garden there is no reason to head in with your eyes closed. There is plenty of information about gardening in your arsenal. The Internet, gardening clubs, books, magazines and the help of your local nursery are all great caches of gardening tips. The main thing that I have noticed is that planning your garden on paper is a must. You will then need to decide on the place and size to make it perfect for the amount of area available. You will also need to figure out how much sun this plot will be getting during the day. Then you will get tip on fertilizer, mulch and the type of soil. Also the tools necessary will have to be decided including what kind of tiller you need plus the type of watering system.

Tip1: Pull out the paper and start planning your garden. The time this will save will be huge. Grab a friend and head on out to the place you are thinking about and have a long look at the area. Having a friend there for advice and as a soundboard and then having the area in front of you will really get the brainstorm started. Make sure to take into consideration the views to the place, how far the hose is from it, if there and any sprinklers around, and anything else you can think of.

Tip 2: The preparation of the soil is a major piece of the garden puzzle and has huge effects on the success of your garden. Different types of plants prefer different types of soil so make sure you take that into consideration. Also make sure that if it is going to be a veggie or an herb garden you try and use organic fertilizer because it will not effect that flavor of the food. A good compost or even wood chip mulch is preferred over the ordinary fertilizer. I recommend using a good tiller to mix it all together it is much easier to do it that way then by hand.

You might think that having a backyard compost heap something of an impossibility but it will be worth its weight in gild once it start giving you the goods. Fresh home brew compost is an excellent source of nutrients for your veggie or herb garden but sometimes its totally unrealistic. Mulch is a good substitute for a home compost mixture. Make sure to use the softer woods like redwood or pine because the faster it breaks down the better. Whether you use mulch or compost or fertilizer make sure to mix it all up very thoroughly.

Tip 3: when you have the soil all prepared it is very smart to lay out the plants on top of the soil before planting them to get a good look at out its going to turn out just in case you need to make any last minute changes. I firmly believe it is wise to plant plants together that have similar characteristics. Large plants with a big radius for instance should all be grouped together. Also have the taller plants in the back and the shorter ones in the front to maximize space. This also makes it easy to see everything.

Tip 4: Watering your garden is very important. Keeping up with it can be a big job depending on how big your house is. I advise using an automatic watering system because that almost makes gardens grow themselves. These auto systems can be anything from big sprinkler systems to a timer on a hose sprinkler.